By the Way What Was Your Name Again Song
Happy Publication Day to author Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow! Her latest film book, Your Name is a Song, releases today.
This phenomenal picture show book (illustrated past Luisa Uribe and published past Innovation Press) is the story of a young girl who doesn't want to go back to school later the beginning 24-hour interval because no ane is able pronounce her name…and of a mother who encourages her daughter to reframe and confront the situation in an empowering way.
I had the opportunity to read an ARC of Your Name is a Song and earlier I was even half-way through, I knew this was going to be one of the star releases of the year. I reached out to Jamilah to find out the story behind YNIAS. Here's what she told me:
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TFB: The first time I readYour Name is a Song, I said to myself, "This one is really special." What motivated you to write this particular story?
JT-B: I was motivated by the kids I've worked with throughout the years who have beautiful names just might not recognize those names as beingness so because of the ways their names are mispronounced or mocked. I'yard hoping they see themselves in the principal grapheme (whose proper noun isn't revealed until the end) and go through the same empowering journey. I thought virtually how they probably needed an affirming voice telling another story about their names. Mispronouncing or mocking someone'southward proper name can be a way of belittling a child even if unintentionally, and I wanted those kids to come up abroad from reading this book feeling just as proud as the primary character.
TFB: Did anyone ever say or practise anything to make you feel bad almost your proper name growing up?
JT-B: A few times. I had a teacher call me Jamal all school year no affair how many times I corrected her. A male child used to telephone call me Ja-Miller Lite for kicks. I think my twin brother got it the worst. His name is Bilal (Bee-Laal), which is the name of a very of import historic Muslim effigy, but kids would e'er call him "Apathetic" and snicker and teachers almost never tried to get information technology right.
TFB: What was your reaction when you lot first saw the art for your YNIAS? Were you at all involved in the procedure of identifying the illustrator, Luisa Uribe?
JT-B: Love, love, love! I loved the art she produced from the beginning because I could run into how much she loved these characters in the little details she included and the sunny color palette.
I definitely had a voice in choosing the illustrator and we (my editor, agent, and I) went through a number of portfolios before I was introduced to Luisa's work. I saw her offset sketches for the book and I knew she was right for it. Her work is visually stunning, catamenia, only what's more important is from the start, she seemed incredibly attached to this project. She seemed to beloved these characters and their story and it shows in her art.
TFB: Can you share your favorite spread for the volume? Why is it your favorite?
JT-B: This question is impossible to answer because I probably accept several favorites. Luisa did an amazing job! One I adore that hasn't been shared as much in previews is a tender moment when Momma has helped our main character feel proud of her name and leaves her at the school yard gate. This is this girl's fourth dimension to be strong on her ain and Momma is giving her her approving and letting this daughter know that she can definitely handle this situation.
TFB: What are you hoping this story does for the reader? How do you hope it makes them feel? What practice you hope someone might learn or take away?
JT-B: I'm hoping that this is an empowering and loving book for readers whose names haven't always been so valued. I desire these readers to experience that Momma has got their backs also. I want them to feel like singing their names past the end of information technology. And I'g hoping that this book also creates empathy, particularly from people who have names from the dominant civilization and may never take thought nigh how the way they treat the names of others can be demeaning.
TFB: Why is YNIAS an important book to employ in classroom settings? Do you have whatsoever professional communication for educators on how they could or should use it with their students?
JT-B: For the same reasons I just stated: because it can empower and create empathy. This is especially of import in US classrooms that are taught predominantly by white teachers while the children in those classrooms are increasingly populated by Black children and children of colour. I feel starting time that teachers themselves may want to read and sit withYour Proper name is a Vocal and reflect on how they accept treated students with names they constitute hard to pronounce in the past. Have they made jokes about sure kinds of names? I call up they need to make a commitment to respecting and saying the names of their new students correctly, and they need to state this explicitly to students from the very beginning day of school. So, they need to do the work to get their names right and to non embarrass them. Don't brand your get-go interaction with a student exist yous loudly taking attendance if that means loudly saying their name wrong. I say this as a former classroom teacher; there are multiple ways to take attendance without doing the embarrassing first-solar day-of-school curlicue call. I think reading this book aloud could exist used to underscore that delivery and to as well have discussions nigh how to ensure everyone feels like their identities are validated in the classroom. I also remember this is a book that could launch a school year practice of jubilant and learning about identity and diversity.
TFB: If you were speaking straight to someone correct know who had suffered any kind of microagression or traumatic experience regarding their name—or annihilation specific to their cultural identity—what would yous desire to say to them?
JT-B: I'd say: READ MY BOOK! Run out and buy it At present! I'm joking, simply and so again… I'grand not. I wrote this volume specifically for the person you're describing. In talking to adults who were able to review the book in accelerate, I've heard that this book was a healing book for them. This give-and-take "healing" has been used multiple times and I cherish and am humbled by that word. I've read bloggers write once more and again "my proper noun is a song" in their reviews after reading this book because they needed to say those words. Their younger selves needed those words. So, I say to that person, "Your proper name is a song." Who you are is a song. Your identity is beautiful, it is valuable, and y'all didn't deserve to have your identity–any aspect of it–treated that way.
Your Name is a Song is bachelor wherever books are sold. Once more, Happy Book Birthday, Jamilah!
Source: https://thebrownbookshelf.com/2020/07/07/do-you-know-your-name-is-a-song/
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